Parachute



0. HEVIYNECKE April7, 1925.

' fARACI-IUTE I e Sheets-Shaet 2' Filed April 13, 1,921

A ril 7, 1925. 1,532,588

. O. HEINECKE PARACHUTE Filed April 15, 1921 e Sheets-Sheet. 3

0230 fled/260K e.

- A ril 7 1925.

' 1,532,588 0. HEINECKE PARACHUTE Filed A ril 15, 1921 s Sheets-Sheet 4 April 7, 1925. 1,532,588

0. HEINECKE PARACHUTE I Filed Apxil 15, 1921 6 Sheets-Sheet 5- April 7, 1925. 1,532,588

0. HEINECKE v PARACHUTE Filed Apfil 13, 1921 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 .0% f/ezizecZe.

it"atented Apr. 7,. 1925 UNITED STATES;

' 1,532,588 Parent OFFICE.

OTTO HEINECKE, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.-

PARAGHUTEI.

Application filed April 13, 1921. Serial No.'461,1,74.

(GRAmD UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH-3, 1921, 41 STAT. I 1313.)

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. OTTO l-lniunoxn, manufacturer, a citizen of Germany, residing at Berlin, Germany, 13 Puttkammerstlz, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Parachute (torwhichl have filed application for patent in Germany, August 25, 1917. No. ll 79.700 X1/77 h 8; 21, 1918. No. ll 73.9951 Til/77118; October 22, 1918, No.11 75. 271 311/77 h 8.; in Austria, July 15, 1918, No. A 4009-18; in Hungary. .xugust 10, 191.8, No. H6218; and in Great Britain Number 1 18,5553, dated July 10, 1920), of which the following is a specification. y

The present invention relates to a parachute, which may be used with aerial craft of all kind (flying machines, airships, balloons and the like) as also with captive balloons and the like. The parachute according to the present invention difiers essentially from other parachutes heretofore disclosed in this. that the parachute is secured to the body of the wearer independently of the aerial craft and is connected to the latter merely by means which will, when the wearer jumps overboard, cause the parachute to open, or'bring it into such position as will be necessary for its opening. The means coupling the parachute tothe aerial craft is preferably made of such length that the parachute will open only after it has fallen clear'of the said craft.

The new parachute according to the present invention is, therefore, distinguished by its great safety and reliability in its action.

' In particular it will avoid that in dropping itwill catch on to the aerial craft or any part thereof or parts attached thereto and thereby its operation be impaired or prevented.

In the accompanying drawing a form of the invention is shown by way of example.

F 1-6 show the operation of the parachute at different stages of the drop.

'7 shows, on a somewhat enlarged scale the aviator with the parachute leaving his craft in a different manner- Figs. 8-10 show the parachute at difl'erout stages while being folded up and stored away in its container.

Fig. 11 is a top view of the container with the parachute, the lid being partly broken away.

tached by means of one or more ropes 4 to the belt oi the aviator '(Figs. 5, 6, 11'

and 16). At its apex the screen 1 is fitted with an air-outlet 6. From this apex a rope 7 runs downward, by means of which the width and adjustment of the screen may be controlled during the drop (Figs. 12-14) 4 \Vhen the apex of the screen is pulled quite down (Fig. 13) the air will pass away at the sides of the latter and the drop will be accelerated. "When, on the contrary, the apex of the screcn'is only partly pulled down by means of the rope 7. (Fig. 14:) the air will catch in the annular cul-de-sao formed around the orifice 6 and the drop' will be retarded. By operating the rope 7 I the aviator may,'therefore, accelerate or retard his drop at will. This is of particular importance in landing, so that the aviator being carried away by. the wind may sail over any obstructions and select a suitable place for landing.

To the apex of. the screen 1 is attached at the outer side a rope 8 which is secured in a suitable manner to the body of the respective craft. Preferably this rope 8 is secured to the apex of the parachute by means of a weaker rope 9 (Fig. 11) which will, in case of a drop be readily broken.

The parachute is generally stored in an envelope 10 which may consist of a strong box or of a sack or the like, which is attached by means of ropes '11 (Fig. 11) to the belt of the aviator. In the form shown in the drawings the said container 10 is provided with a lid '12, in the center of which is a hole through which the said weak rope 9 passes. On lid and box eyes 14 are provided, through which a suitably bent wire 15 is drawn, for holding down the lid. In the middle of wire 15 .is provided a ring 16 to which the rope 8 of the craftand also the rope 9 of the'parachute is attached.

When, therefore, a pull is exerted on rope 8 the Wire 15, which is discontinued at its point opposite to ring 16, will be pulled through the said eyes 14 and the lid will be loosened from the box so that the latter is opened. The parachute may now be pulled from its box.

The parachute is packed in such a manner into the box 10 that the ropes 2 are at the bottom and the screen 1 proper above them whiist the ends of the ropes 2 and the ropes 4 hang out at the side of the box. The apex orifice 6 of the Screen with the ropes 8, 9 in it lies quite at the top (Figs. 810). V-Ihen now the rope 8 is pulled, the rope 9 attached to the upper end of the parachute will, after the lid has been loosened and opened, first pull the screen from the box, then the ropes 2 follow which are secured by ropes 4 to the belt 5. of the aviator. The screen 1 and the ropes 2 must, obviously, be properly packed into the box 10, so that they will emerge there from in a smooth and orderly manner.

The wearing strap is essentially composed of the belt 5, the two shoulder straps 17, 18 and the leg straps 19, 20 (Figs. and 16). In the form shown in the drawing the leg straps 19, 20 pass over both legs. They are held together in the middle by a strap 21, so that two loops 22, 23 (Fig. 15) are formed through which the legs are passed. The strap 19 will, then, at the same time serve as a seat for the wearer (Fig. 16). The strap .20 may, if desired, also be omitted as its object is only to afford a better hold, and the strap 19, acting as a seat, will .be sufficient to prevent the belt 5 from slipping off the wearer, as long as he sits on strap 19. The several straps are fitted, in known manner, with buckles for adjusting them. 24, 25 are the eyes to which the ropes 4 are attached. As will be evident from Fig. 16, the said ropes 4 will also act as a kind of back-rest'for the aviator, so that he cannot topple over backwards.

According to requirement the wearing strap may also consist of the belt 5 with the shoulder straps 17, 18, or of the belt 5 with the leg straps 19 and 20 only. The latter may also be disposed in some other suitable manner. It is only essential that they will, under the weight of the body of the wearer or by encircling the legs, prevent the belt 5 from slipping oif upwards. The various straps may be made of any suitable material.

The operation of the parachute hereinbefore described is as follows: During his flight the aviator may use the envelope with the parachute as a seat cushion (Fig. 1). Envelope and parachute are attached in the manner described by means of ropes 4, 11 to the aviators belt, whilst the rope 8 is attached to the craft (Fig. 2). In going is drawn forth from the envelope, its upper end emerging first (Fig. 3). As soon as the screen 1 and the ropes 2 have completely left the box 10 the weight of the body of the aviator will act on the weak rope 9, break the latter and the aviator will now, together with his parachute be entirely free from the craft (Fig. 4). The air will cause the parachute to open (Fig. 5).

The said rope 8 is made of such a length, that the parachute will begin to open, after being drawn from the envelope only after the aviator has with the parachute attached to him, dropped far enough as to clear the aerial craft. This is to prevent the parachute catching on to the said craft or any parts thereof.

I claim:

1. A parachute comprising a screen and a casing for housing the same, means for connecting the casing to an aircraft and to the aviator of the aircraft, means for locking the casing, meanswhereby when the aviator leaves the air craft said casing will be first caused to be opened and subsequently the screen will be removed from said casing and permitted to open, said means being of such length that they open the casing only after the latter has dropped far enough to be clear of the aircraft.

2. A parachute comprising a screen and a casing for housing the same, means for flexibily attaching said casing to the aviator of an aircraft. means for locking the casing, a rope for connecting the screen housed by the casing to the aircraft, said rope being of such length that it opens the casing only after the aviator has dropped far enough to be clear of the air craft, a breakable link between said rope and the screen designed to break after the lock of the casing is opened and the screen is removed from said casing and is in proper position for opening clear of the aircraft.

3. A parachute comprising a screen and a casing for housing the same, means for movably connecting said casing to the aviator of an aircraft, means for locking said casing. a rope for connecting the screen housed by said casing and said lockin means to the aircraft, a link of breakable material between said screen and said rope attaching the same to the aircraft, means whereby the weight of the aviator when ,c ute, screen and finally, the ropes attachigtthe said screen to the body of the chute to the aircraft and adapted to bring aviator will be pulled out from saidcasing.

at." A parachute for aviators having a rope oft convenient length attaching said parasaid parachute into the position for opening ifit has dropped far, enough to be clear of the cra.ft,a Weak rope inserted into the first named rope attached to the craft, an envelope attached to the aviator, eyes on the envelope, and a wire bent to form an open circle drawn through said eyes to close the envelope. v

5. A parachute-tor aviators havlng a central air-hole at the apex thereof, a rope of parachute into the position for opening after it has dropped far enough to be clear of the aircraft, a weak rope connecting with the parachute to one end of the rope attached to the craft, an envelope attached to the belt of the aviator, a lid for said envelope having a hole through which said weak rope passes, eyes on said lid and on the lower part of the envelope, a Wire bent to form an 'open circle drawn through said eyes of said lid and envelope to fasten the lid to the envelope and attached between said attaching rope and said weak rope, substantially as described and for the purpo'se'set forth. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OTTO HEINECKE. WVitnesses:

EMIL DRINETH, AUGUST MfiLLER. 

